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Senate HELP Committee Advances the Advancing Research in Education Act (AREA)

January 4, 2024

On December 12, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee voted 20-1 to advance S. 3392, the Advancing Research in Education Act (AREA), bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the …

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2023: A Year in Review

December 18, 2023

2023 was a big year for child care and early learning! Together, we urged Congress to prioritize the funding and policies that strengthen child care and early learning with:  Thank …

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How States Are Using PDG B-5 Grants to Support Career Pathways

December 15, 2023

The BUILD Initiative, ZERO TO THREE, and Start Early, recently released a new brief highlighting the strategies states are using to improve career pathways in their Preschool Development Grant Birth …

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Recent Bills Offer Needed Updates to Child Care Food Assistance  Program

December 12, 2023

Having access to nutritious food is essential to children’s healthy growth and development, and children in full-time care need multiple meals and snacks throughout the day. With the cost of …

A little girl with down's syndrome lays out geometric shapes on table.
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Policy Statement on Inclusion of Children With Disabilities in Early Childhood Programs

December 11, 2023

The Departments of Education (ED) and Health and Human Services (HHS) recently released the strongest policy statement on the inclusion of children with disabilities in early childhood programs to date. …

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How States Are Using PDG B-5 Grants to Support Financing

December 8, 2023

The BUILD Initiative, ZERO TO THREE, and Start Early, recently released a new brief highlighting the strategies states are using to improve financing in their Preschool Development Grant Birth through …

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FFYF Submits Comments on 2023 Temporary Assistance for Needy Families NPRM

December 4, 2023

On October 2, 2023, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) that would strengthen the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. …

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Understanding the Difference Between the Child Tax Credit and the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit ⁠— and Why We Need Both

December 1, 2023

Child care is not a luxury for American families – it’s a necessity. Yet the high costs associated with quality child care are rapidly out-pacing most other expenses faced by …

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New Research: ARP Stabilization Dollars Were Critical For Our Nation’s Child Care

November 21, 2023

The Council of Economic Advisers recently released a working paper indicating that the $24 billion in American Rescue Plan (ARP) stabilization funds effectively increased access to affordable child care, stabilized …

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Funding for Key Early Learning Programs, FY 2024

November 20, 2023

For FY2025 funding levels, please reference our newer “Funding for Key Early Learning Programs, FY2025” chart. Each year, Congress determines funding levels for all of the federal defense and non-defense …

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The First Five Things to Know About: Representative Joaquin Castro

November 15, 2023

As part of an ongoing series on the Bipartisan Child Care and PreK Caucus, First Five Years Fund is chatting with each of the co-chairs about their role as a …

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New Report shows Skyrocketing Cost of Child Care

November 14, 2023

A new report from Bank of America has found that parents’ average child care payments are up a whopping 32% from 2019 – higher than the rate of inflation. First …

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